Online retail juggernaut Amazon has announced it is creating more than 10,000 new jobs across the 海角视频 as well as a £10m programme to help employees gain new skills.
The global firm is opening a number of new sites – a parcel centre and four new fulfilment centres – under the plans, which will take Amazon’s total 海角视频 workforce to more than 55,000 by the end of year.
Amazon is also expanding its delivery station network, creating new permanent roles in engineering, human resources, computing, health and safety, finance, and those dealing with customer orders.
A new fulfilment centre will open in Hinckley, East Midlands, this summer, creating 700 new permanent jobs, and the company will also open a parcel centre in Doncaster and new fulfilment centres in Dartford, Gateshead, and Swindon that will each create more than 1,300 permanent jobs later this year.
New jobs will also be created in corporate offices, web services and operations networks in areas including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cambridge.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s £10m training programme will take place over three years with ambitions to train up to 5,000 employees in new skills.
The firm said that, for those who see their future outside of Amazon, the Career Choice programme provides funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognised courses, up to £8,000 over four years.
Courses available range from accountancy to HGV drivers and software developers, and are designed to help employees pursue careers outside of Amazon if they choose to do that.
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Amazon’s 海角视频 country manager John Boumphrey said: “We’re creating thousands of good jobs across the 海角视频 from a diverse range of roles with excellent pay and benefits.
“We’re also delighted to be working with the British Chambers of Commerce on a pioneering approach to our Career Choice programme to provide the training, and skilled workers, needed to boost local economies right across the country.
“We’re proud of the front-line roles we offer across Amazon, and we also know that they will be a stepping stone for some in their career journey.”
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Amazon’s announcement is fantastic news and a huge vote of confidence in the British economy, helping us deliver on our commitment to level up across the 海角视频 with a whopping 10,000 new permanent jobs.
“As we build back better from the pandemic, this is a prime investment in our retail sector.
“Over the past year, Amazon’s workforce have pulled out all the stops to ensure consumers have had safe access to goods during this challenging time.
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“Their latest investment will open up a wide range of opportunities for even more workers, helping to develop the skills needed to power tomorrow’s economy.”
Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is a great initiative that will not only help Amazon but also provide a much wider benefit to the community, while showcasing how business can be a force for good.
“Providing staff with training to plug the skills gaps that exist within the local business community is going to be a key driver to increasing productivity and boosting the economy as the 海角视频 recovers from the pandemic.”
Amazon said training will be offered through its programme, where it pays course fees for employees who have expressed an interest in pursuing a career outside of the company.